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67 WALL STREET, New York - March 15, 2013 - The Wall Street Transcript has just published its Restaurants, Food and Drinks Report offering a timely review of the sector to serious investors and industry executives. This special feature contains expert industry commentary through in-depth interviews with public company CEOs and Equity Analysts. The full issue is available by calling (212) 952-7433 or via The Wall Street Transcript Online.

In the following excerpt from the Restaurants, Food and Drinks Report, the CEO of Craft Brew Alliance, Inc. (BREW) discusses company strategy and the outlook for this vital industry.

TWST: We last spoke a year ago. What has occurred over the past year that investors should focus on?

Mr. Michaelson: I think the primary thing is that 2012 really represented a very significant transition year for us. One of the things that's really important for analysts, shareholders and investors to understand is that we have a strategy that's only two years old in terms of our implementation. We started in 2011 with this national portfolio strategy.

Although Redhook, Widmer Brothers and even Kona certainly have been around for a number of years, those were independent regional strategies and now this is a national portfolio strategy, so 2012 represented a very significant step forward in the development of that strategy and demonstrated a tremendous opportunity in 2013, which is really an inflection point now that we're moving into the growth of that strategy. So 2012 represented a place where we improved in every single area of the business, from our portfolio to our execution in the market to our systems and innovation. It positioned us well for 2013.

TWST: When you look at your position in the brewing industry today, what are some of the trends or issues that you're facing? What is going to have the most impact on your goals and strategies over the two to three years?

Mr. Michaelson: What is very consistent at this point is that there is still a strong growth curve for this segment. It has accelerated over the last five years at a compounded growth rate of plus-seven, and that's been accelerating into the low double digits over the last couple of years. That's being driven by a fundamental change in the consumer buying habits of looking at variety, quality and this kind of high-end experience of beer that is now very important to them. That's the good news for us. We think there is a very long growth runway there...

For more of this interview and many others visit the Wall Street Transcript - a unique service for investors and industry researchers - providing fresh commentary and insight through verbatim interviews with CEOs, portfolio managers and research analysts. This special issue is available by calling (212) 952-7433 or via The Wall Street Transcript Online.